Gluten-Free Tops the Nutrition Trends of 2014

National Restaurant Association Show highlights five nutrition trends foodservice operators should know.

May 22, 2014

CHICAGO – What’s trending on nutrition in the restaurant industry? The National Restaurant Association Show emphasized five nutrition trends for 2014 in the “Current State of Nutrition in the Restaurant Industry” workshop.

  1. Gluten-free topped the list as must-haves for today’s health conscious consumer. “A lot of consumers aren’t gluten-free, but they want multigrain products,” said Charlie Pace with Smart Flour, which only uses ancient grains, such as amaranth, sorghum and teff. 
  2. Grains are also popular, especially whole grains and unusual grains.  “There’s a high understanding of whole grains by consumers,” said David Schmidt, president and CEO of the International Food Information Council.
  3. Plant-based proteins have become better known, with consumers wanting to expand beyond peanut butter. Lee Zalben, owner of Peanut Butter & Co. Sandwich, makes a peanut flour. “It’s not for every application,” he said. “What we’re showing are examples of innovative ideas for people interested in peanuts.”
  4. Meat alternatives have moved to the center of the plate. “Big concepts that you wouldn’t think were interested in healthy, vegan or vegetarian food are adding meatless items to the menu,” said Steve Zimmerman, vice president of sales for foodservice at Dr. Praeger’s Sensible Foods.
  5. Consumers have become more interested in ingredient-centric options these days. “People want to know specifics about what’s in their food,” said Janet Helm, a food strategist. “Clean eating is the new buzzword: minimally processed and ingredient-centric.” One panelist added that “the more information people have about their food, the more it empowers them.”
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